Jonas Bendorius

Jonas Bendorius (born Bendoravičius; – 27 June 1954) was a Lithuanian composer, choirmaster, organist, and music educator. Bendorius's harmonized Lithuanian folk songs for choirs are still popular, and his collection of harmonized folk songs for the mixed choir Aušrelei beauštant is widely known. Choir competitions of his name are held since 1989 in Marijampolė.

Biography Early life Jonas Bendorius was born on in the village of . Bendorius graduated from a local primary school in 1899. From graduation up until 1902, Bendorius attended private music lessons. After passing gymnasium exams by himself, Bendorius continued to teach himself to play the organ. He played the instrument as a teenager in the town of Vištytis, later working as a choirmaster there between 1904 and 1907. Wanting to improve his musical abilities, Bendorius enrolled in the Warsaw Institute of Music, where he also headed the choir of the Warsaw Society of Lithuanians. For a brief period in 1910, Bendorius returned to Marijampolė, where a premiere of Birutė occurred. The opera was composed by Bendorius, , and directed by Mikas Petrauskas. Additionally, in 1930 Bendorius began lecturing at the Elena Laumenskienė Folk Conservatory, in organ and conducting courses. From 1925 to 1934 Bendorius headed the Daina Society. From 1930, Bendorius served in various posts such as vice-chairman of the board of the Lithuanian Society of Artists, chairman of the Music Commission, and chairman of the Ministry of Education's music textbook publishing commission. For several years, he was a music reviewer for the newspaper Lietuvos aidas. When writing about musical works, he positively assessed the innovative tendencies of composers' creativity and criticized manifestations of dilettantism. In 1937 Bendorius was given the title of senior teacher, and in 1938 was awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (5th class). He was buried in the Vilnius Rasos Cemetery.